The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-03-02
THE DIFFERENCE.

HE DIffERENCEs
A Parkway "Outrage" Over Which Re-
publicans Are "Politicaliy" Indignant
and One Near at Hand Which They Will
Not Consider.
Three citizens of Texas, or three
men claiming to be such, appeared at
Washington not long since with har-
rowing tale Of political outrage where
of they were the victims. They asked
that the Senate investigate the case
and that body by a strict party vote
has decided to do so. The story was
practically unsupported-except so far
as each Of the three men supported the
other two. 1t was very suspiciously like
a number of stories which have come
from the South at times when the Repub-
ican party was in need of fuel to fire the
partisan hearts and keep the rank and
file from falling into condition of
confidence in the South. Moreover, if
the story was true it furnished no basis
for Senatorial or Federal action. 1t
might turn out in every line and word
and detail exactly as narrated, and it
would still be as purely case for the
tribunals and authorities of Texas as
the horrible outrages in the north
woods of Michigan and Wisconsin are
cases for the tribunals and authorities
of those States. The Senate can do
absolutely nothing in the premises un-
less it be to make, or attempt to make,
political capital for the Republican
party. 1t can not punish the offenders
or even compel the State Of Texas to do
it.
Some days before the alleged citizens
of Texas made their appearance at
Washington with their outrage budget
poor widow in this city gave to the
public an account of the suffering her
husband, who had just died at the Sol
diers' Home in Grand Rapids, had UNI
dergone in that institution. It would
have been sad and pathetic tale if the
sufferer had been pauper in the coun-
ty house, or even convict in one Of
our prisons. Told, as it was, of a gal
liant soldier who had been taken in
charge by the great State of Michigan
to protect and care for in a home
which the generous bounty Of the PEG.
pie had provided, it was tale calcu.
lated to make the blood boil in the
veins of every patriotic citizen. twas
followed by other tales from inmates
of the same institution, all freighted
with the same burden of mismanage.
ment, neglect and consequent suffer.
ing. Those who should have been the
welcome and honored guest of thu
State in a real home, with the care and
the comfort that sacred name implies
were represented as finding the place
a "mockery of a home and .'hell. ;
Naturally an indignant cry went w
for investigation of the alleged abuses
and for a speedy remedy; and the
Legislature was at once appealed to
There was nothing partisan in the cry
The charges were not made by citizens
of distant State. And the appeal was
to a body which has full jurisdiction te
examine and full power to cure the
abuses, if any are found. It was {
stronger case in its appeal to humanity
and in the evidence by which it was
supported than the Texas case; and il
was presented, as the latter was not, tc
a perfectly proper tribunal. But uhs
petty party organ saw no merit in The
case. The wall Of the stricken widow
and the appeal of the suffering soldier
were ''insinuations" which deserved
no attention from the Legislature O.
anybody else. The management of tn,
Soldiers Home was too great and wis,
and generous and good to be even sus
pected of any thing; and it was onl,
when a member of its own party will
a manly consciousness of the disgrac
the State would incur if the whitewash
ing policy were pursued moved for al
investigation that this petty partisan
organ abandoned its opposition ant
grudgingly joined in the demand.
had sharp eyes for alleged outrages il
far-off Texas; it had crocodile tears t
shed over alleged wrongs committe,
there; and it was exceedingly promp
in its demand for an investigation
when there was the faintest prospcc
that its party could make political cap
ital, though there was no possibilit
that any wrong could be redressed. Blu
it had no eyes or tears to moisten ther
when the alleged sufferers are its ow
fellow-citizens in whose kind and ger
erous treatment the whole State wa
interested. It could not even see il
way clear to asking for an inquiry int
the matter until the resolution offere
by member Of its own party Statistic
\ 1T that the partisan whitewash brus
could no longer be welded with safet
!, There is good deal Of this mi
Jellaby" business Of straining the sig
so in looking after the far-off suferi1
that the eyes are blinded to the mise1
close at hand. And it is all the mo
, contemplate business when the igno
ing Of the suffering and misery near
, hand is deliberate, as ithas been in t
Tr1bunse's dealing with the Soldier
Home matter. Detroit Free Press.